2020/21 BAR. - The United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a Resolution expressing the commitment of its members to pass laws and related policies that would provide incentives for all citizens of the planet to change their lifestyles so that the impending disasters brought about by climate change can be avoided or mitigated. As the principal legal adviser to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, you are asked this query: Is the General Assembly Resolution a valid source of State obligation under international law?
2019 BAR. - The Humanitarian Services Society (HSS), an international non-government organization, assisted the displaced families of Tribe X who had to flee their home country in order to escape the systematic persecution conducted against them by their country’s ruling regime based on their cultural and religious beliefs. Fearing for their lives, some of these displaced families, with the help of HSS, were able to sail out into the sea on a boat which eventually landed in Palawan. The Philippine Coast Guard intended to push back the boat with 15 passengers. An affiliate of HSS in the Philippines intervened on behalf these displaced families, claiming that they are refugees under international law and hence, should not be expelled from our territory. May the displaced families of Tribe X be considered "refugees" under international law?
2024 BAR. - The sovereign Republic of Handskaland, represented by Ambassador Hansen, entered into a five-year contract with Hardee Services Corporation (HSC) for the maintenance and repair of the electrical facilities of its embassy in the Philippines. Ambassador Hansen pre-terminated the agreement after discovering HSC’s faulty electrical works. Aggrieved, HSC filed against the Republic of Handskaland and Ambassador Hansen a complaint for damages. HSC argued that the Republic of Handskaland and Ambassador Hansen waived their immunity from suit when they entered into a contract. Did the Republic of Handskaland and Ambassador Hansen waive their immunity from suit?
2023 BAR. - Bartolome is the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Argentina. One week before the expiry date of the appointment of Bartolome in the Mission, he went on a three-day vacation in Brazil, a country known for its rich biodiversity and abundant natural resources. Determined to carry along a precious gift to his wife, Bartolome packed into his luggage a protected species of orchid found only in Brazil. Sniffing dogs at the Rio de Janeiro International Airport sensed something in his checked-in luggage, drawing the attention of airport officials. When asked to open the luggage, Bartolome presented his diplomatic identification and refused to submit to any inspection. Airport officials informed him of the penal sanctions for transporting illegal items suspected in any luggage. May Bartolome validly invoke diplomatic immunity and inviolability of his personal luggage?
2024 BAR. - The Zuri Republic and Wanda Republic are members of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In 2024, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected Zuri Republic’s claim over the entire South Wrigley Sea and declared it as part of Wanda Republic’s exclusive economic zone. However, Zuri Republic refused to recognize the arbitral award and continued its reclamation activities. Thereafter, Xena Republic, a non-UNCLOS state, filed a protest against Zuri Republic before the United Nations Security Council to respect the arbitral award and to stop reclamation efforts that destroy the fragile ecosystem. The Zuri Republic then challenged the legal standing of Xena Republic and argued that only state parties to the UNCLOS can enforce the arbitral award. Does Xena Republic have legal standing to initiate the protest?
By • August 2, 2025